7.03.2010

And I'm celebrating! Through the whole month of July I'll be posting a lot of ice cream recipes. Some I've created myself, and others are from books or blogs that I've been dying to try.

I'm very excited about this because I love ice cream! I eat a lot of ice cream, much, much more than I should. Hey, I can't help it, that stuff is good!

I think ice cream is one of the funnest things to make because the flavor possibilites are endless. I love cooking something that allows my creativity to flow.

Today, I just wanted a basic vanilla ice cream with my favorite mix ins- brownies, caramel, and hot fudge. I used the dark chocolate brownies and caramel that I made. Sadly, I was out of fudge topping, but those brownies and caramel are good enough that I can do without the fudge. The ice cream was yummy, I love the texture of the chewy brownies, and the caramel gives a great contrast.

Most ice creams I make are custard-based. This takes a little longer to do than cream-based as you have to cook it for some time. I don't mind, though. Custard ice cream is so rich and creamy. I especially like to eat it soft serve. I will be sharing cream-based recipes also, for those of you who prefer eggless ice cream.

Directions-In a medium saucepan over medium heat stir together milk, cream and sugar; heat until it just barely starts to boil (about 5 minutes). Pour a small amount into egg yolks while whisking. Pour warmed eggs into cream and stir. Cook until mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Pour through a mesh strainer to remove any lumps that may have formed during cooking. Stir in vanilla. Refrigerate until cool. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in airtight container in freezer.

I added pieces of chopped brownie, and swirls of caramel to this ice creamCheck out this website for awesome tips on adding baked goods to ice cream!

If you know of a really good or interesting ice cream flavor, I'd love to hear about it, and possibly post it on this blog!